However, there are thousands of sidewalk vendors in the city, all of whom are seeing their livelihoods put in doubt. There is also the question of the essential character of the city, of which the thriving street-side food and drink vendors are an essential part.

Street food vendors in downtown Ho Chi Minh City will be forced to sell their products in designated areas on certain streets, making up part of city officials' effort to deter illegal occupation of sidewalks and roadways as well as ensuring food safety.

For the working poor, unions can provide a structure for voicing grievances and a collective power for bringing about change, often in the face of resistance from employers with significantly greater individual wealth and influence. This article explores somes of the struggles waged by unions to demand the rights of their members in Mumbai, Bangalore, Tehran and Ho Chi Minh City.

According to HCMC's survey on legal compliance in food safety and hygiene reported to the Ministry of Justice on Tuesday, most of the surveyed street vendors (75.5%) consider food hygiene a critical issue and up to 70% say they know relevant regulations. This shows that food hygiene has become familiar with street food vendors.